Apple will be switching off SSL 3.0 support in favor of the more secure transport layer security (TSL) protocol on Wednesday, Oct. 29, noting developers will have to build in support by that time to ensure uninterrupted push notification service continues.

Apps currently using both SSL 3.0 and TSL will not be affected by the change, but those using just SSL 3.0 will need to be updated.

Apple has disabled SSL 3.0 on the Provider Communication interface in the developer environment, offering developers a way to check their apps for compatibility. More information is available through Apple’s Developer Portal.

The update, which is available as an over-the-air update or via iTunes, includes the bug fixes that were included in the original iOS 8.0.1 update as well as repairs Touch ID and cellular services.

After installing iOS 8.0.1 yesterday, many iPhone 6 and 6 Plus users found that their cellular service was disabled and that Touch ID was non-functional. Apple pulled the iOS 8.0.1 update approximately an hour and fifteen minutes after it was first released, but not before numerous iPhone users were able to download the software. The company announced an investigation in the afternoon, and in the evening, released a support document saying iOS 8.0.2 was in the works and directing users to fix the problem via an iTunes restore to iOS 8.

On Wednesday, Apple released version 8.0.1 of its iOS mobile operating system. The update, which can be acquired via iTunes or the Software Update feature in iOS 8, offers the following fixes and changes to Apple’s newly-released operating system:

– Fixes a bug so HealthKit apps can now be made available on the App Store.

– Addresses an issue where third-party keyboards could become deselected when a user enters their passcode.

– Fixes an issue that prevented some apps from accessing photos from the Photo Library.

On Wednesday, Apple released version 7.0.6 of its Safari web browser for OS X Mavericks and version 6.1.6 for its OS X Lion and Mountain Lion operating systems. The new version, features fixes for several WebKit-related security and memory corruption issues that could let attackers run arbitrary code on victim’s computers. The security issue could also cause app crashes.

According to the security release notes, seven security issues were patches, all related to WebKit memory corruption. The notes state, “These issues were addressed through improved memory handling.”

The first beta for OS X 10.9.5 as well as the new Safari builds are out the door.

Per AppleInsider, Apple on Wednesday pushed out to developers the first beta of the upcoming OS X 10.9.5 Mavericks maintenance update alongside new builds of Safari 7.0.6 and 6.0.6.

The new OS X 10.9.5 Mavericks seed, build number 13F7, comes one month to the day after Apple released OS X 10.9.4 to the public in June, which brought fixes for Wi-Fi connectivity and wake-from-sleep bugs.

As we reported last week, there were numerous problems with the MacBook Air firmware update released earlier in the week. Users reported symptoms as innocuous as the update simply not being applied, to preventing the laptop from rebooting. In most cases, performing multiple SMC resets on the computer fixed the booting problem, but the update was still not installed. A few users found that even though the System Information application reported that the firmware was not updated, afterwards their MacBook Airs began suffering some of the problems that the 2.9 update was supposed to fix. Some of the symptoms included trouble reconnecting to wifi networks, fans unnecessarily running at full speed, and issues with sleeping and waking the computer.

Let than a day after the reports began flooding in, Apple removed the update from the App Store and users were no longer getting prompted to install it. As of today, a newly numbered 2.9.1 update can be found appearing in the App Store under Updates. Owners are cautioned to hold off on applying the new update, unless necessary, until reports come back that the install is working correctly. We will keep you updated as reports come in and the situation develops.

Have you already risked the update? Let us know and any relevant details in the comments or on our Facebook page!

After a day of user complaints of problems applying the MacBook Air 2.9 EFI firmware update after its release, Apple has finally pulled the update from the App Store. As we reported yesterday, threads like this one, started reporting that attempts to apply the update would run and fail to actually update the firmware, or that it would “brick” their laptop leaving it unusable. Those that weren’t left with a non-working MacBook Air also reported that after attempting the failed update, the App Store app would show the update as installed with an additional entry showing that it still needed to be applied.

Per The Mac Observer, Apple released its MacBook Air EFI Firmware Update 2.9 late Monday. The update, a 4.3 MB download, addresses a sleep issue with the mid-2011 MacBook Air notebook:

– This update is recommended for MacBook Air (Mid 2011) models. This update addresses an issue where systems may take longer to wake from sleep than expected and fixes a rare issue that may cause fans to run at full speed after waking from sleep.

The update can be directly downloaded from Apple’s web site or located and installed via OS X’s Software update feature.

If you’ve tried the new firmware and have any feedback to offer, please let us know in the comments.

Update! :

Some users have been reporting problems with the EFI update. In some cases, users’ computers would not restart after installation. In others the update would appear to install, but when the laptop restarts, the update is not applied, appears as installed in the App Store app, and STILL shows up as needing to be installed. Multiple attempts at the install simply add an identical entry to the list of installed software with no changes to the computers firmware.

I personally ran into the latter situation. My MacBook Air is still working fine, but the firmware did not update. People are also having problems with the separate installer downloaded from Apple’s web site. We highly recommend that if you have not updated yet that you hold off until more data can be collected and Apple possibly deploys an update to the update.

Has anyone else experienced this problem? Let us know in the comments.

You may not like doing it, but you’re going to have to snag the newest version of Adobe’s Flash Player plug-in.

Per AppleInsider, Apple late Thursday issued a security message saying it has blocked old versions of Adobe’s Flash Player plug-in for Safari, citing a recent flaw that could potentially allow hackers to harvest browser data like cookies.

Users with out of date plug-ins will be met with a message saying, “Blocked plug-in,” “Flash Security Alert” or “Flash out-of-date” when attempting to access Flash content in Safari. Clicking on the alert takes users to Adobe’s Flash installer page, where the latest version of the plug-in can be downloaded and installed.

Even if you’re not crazy about Adobe Flash Player these days, there’s a better reason than usual to upgrade to the new version.

Per AppleInsider and Adobe, a well-known vulnerability in Adobe’s Flash player that could allow malicious users to steal browser data — including cookies — on Macs, PCs, and Linux machines has been exploited for the first time. As such, Adobe has issued a patch and urged users to upgrade their system as soon as possible.

The company says that Flash Player versions 14.0.0.125 and earlier for Mac and Windows and version 11.2.202.378 and earlier for Linux suffer from the bug, which was exploited in a proof-of-concept by Google engineer Michele Spagnuolo. Mac and Windows users should update to version 14.0.0.145 while Linux users should update to version 11.2.202.394.